1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to communications, and more particularly, to a communication services network that enables client communication devices to synchronously or asynchronously communicate with others in either (i) a real-time mode or (ii) a time-shifted mode and (iii) and to seamlessly transition between the two modes.
2. Description of Related Art
A client application that enables client communication devices to synchronously or asynchronously communicate with others in either (i) a real-time mode or (ii) a time-shifted mode and (iii) and to seamlessly transition between the two modes is known. See for example commonly assigned co-pending application Ser. No. 12/020,400 (U.S. Publication No. 2009/0003558), Ser. No. 12/253,833 (U.S. Publication No. 2009/0168760), Ser. No. 12/253,820 (U.S. Publication No. 2009/0168759) and Ser. No. 12/253,833 (U.S. Publication No. 2009/0168760), each of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
The client communication devices as described in the aforementioned applications are programmable devices, such as mobile and desktop computers or wired or wireless telephones, capable of running the communication application. When executing the application, the client communication devices transmit media in the context of messages. The messages may be sent and reviewed between devices either synchronously or asynchronously. With the former, created messages are transmitted and received messages are rendered at approximately the same time, creating a user experience similar to a conventional, full duplex, telephone conversation. On the other hand, when messages are sent back and forth at discrete times, or received messages are time-shifted when reviewed, then the user experience is similar to an asynchronous messaging system.
With the communication devices running the aforementioned application, media is (i) progressively stored as a message is created and transmitted and (ii) progressively stored as a message is received over the communication network. When in the real-time mode, the media is rendered as the message is progressively received over the network. In the time-shifted mode, the media of the message is retrieved and progressively rendered from storage. In addition, rendering options on the communication device allow the seamless transition, from the perspective of the user, between the rendering of the media of the message from storage in the time-shifted mode to as the media is received over the network in the real-time mode, or vice versa.
One known communication network is the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) used for conventional phone calls. With telephone calls over the PSTN, a circuit connection is required before any communication may take place. In addition, phone calls are “live” only. Asynchronous communication is not possible with conventional telephone calls.
Voice Over Internet Protocol or VoIP allows the transmission of live voice over packet-based networks, such as the Internet. VoIP calls, however, require the use of the Session Internet Protocol (SIP) to set up a “connection” between the participants of the call before communication may take place. Once the call is complete, SIP is used to tear down the connection. VoIP calls, like conventional calls over the PSTN, are live only.
Voice mail systems, used in cooperation with both PSTN and VoIP calls, are also well known. Voice mail systems, regardless if based on a “stand-alone” recording machine or a voice mail server, are separate and distinct from either the PSTN or VoIP networks. When a PSTN or VoIP call is placed, and the recipient does not answer, the calling party is “rolled over” to either a recording machine or a voice mail server. In either case, a “live” connection must be established between the calling party and the voice mail system before a message can be left.
Push To Talk (PTT) communication systems are half-duplex only. Before a PTT message can be sent, a channel must first be established over the network between the sender and the receiver. Once the channel is defined, a one-way message may be sent from the sender to the recipient. Since PTT networks are half-duplex, only one person is allowed to speak at a time. If two or more people attempt to speak at the same time, one channel will “step” on the other(s), preventing multiple transmissions concurrently.
Email and the DNS infrastructure is a store and forward communication system. Emails must be composed in full before they are transmitted. Once transmitted, the email is typically received in full at each network hop before being forwarded to the next hop along the delivery path to the recipient. Due to the store and forward nature of the email infrastructure, emails are typically text based. While it is common to transmit an email with attached files containing time-based media, such as a voice or video clip, it is not possible for emails to be used for the transmission of time-based media as the media is created. Consequently, live or synchronous communication is not possible with email.
Text based messaging systems are also known. Like emails, these systems require the message to be complete before the message is transmitted. Live and synchronous communication is therefore not possible with these types of systems.
Video chat systems are also known, such as for example iChat offered by Apple of Cupertino, Calif. With iChat, participants may engage in live voice and video chat sessions. iChat and similar live messaging systems rely on SIP to set up and tear down the connection between the parties before any communication can take place. In addition, voice and video chat systems are also live only and are incapable of supporting asynchronous communication or messaging.
Asynchronous voice messaging systems are also known. See for example U.S. Publication No. 2006/0248149 issued to Kraft et al. With asynchronous voice messaging systems, a message is transmitted only after it has been created in full or rendered only after it has been received in full. Asynchronous voice messaging systems, such as Kraft, are incapable of transmitting or rendering messages in real-time. As a consequence, these systems are incapable of supporting synchronous or real-time communication.
None of the aforementioned networks or services enable client communication devices to synchronously or asynchronously communicate with others in either (i) a real-time mode or (ii) a time-shifted mode and (iii) and to seamlessly transition between the two modes.